ALBUM REVIEW: Temple Of Artifice – Twisted Illusion

Manchester-based prog-rockers TWISTED ILLUSION haven’t had their feet up much this past year. Led by multi-instrumentalist Matt Jones, the Mancunians have spent their downtime recording three full-length albums. The upcoming Excite The Light Trilogy is a huge undertaking and putting it together must have been a massive amount of work, especially at a time when the musicians involved couldn’t perform in the same room.

Temple Of Artifice however is not part of this ambitious new project. It’s their 2016 debut album and is getting re-released as part of a promotional campaign for the new material. Its main function seems to be raising the profile of its three younger brothers, but it’s strong enough to survive on its own merits. It’s patchy and a couple of the songs fall flat, but is a worthwhile listen for the most part.

Drawing inspiration from classic prog rock, TWISTED ILLUSION write songs that are more energetic than heavy. This is the type of rock music that 90s kids will remember their dads playing on road trips; elaborate and weirdly accessible. Imitate Me Part 1, for instance, starts with some complex guitar and keyboard sections being played very fast, alongside vocals reminiscent of Roger Daltrey screaming “out here in the fields.” About halfway through, it changes tack entirely. It transforms into a quieter, acoustic-led number and feels like a completely new song. Or at least it does until the final minute when it explodes into life again.

Freedom To Fail follows, and while it’s recognisably the same band, has a very different vibe. The first 90 seconds are so stripped back it’s almost acapella. It does kick off occasionally, but this one has a more sombre tone and the focus is on Jones’ expressive voice rather than high-octane fretboard destruction. Hatred Is A Virtue then ramps the pace back up again and thanks to a catchy chorus winds up as a real earworm.

Apocalypse…#LOL however is where it starts to come unstuck. This one is a light-hearted take on the Instagram generation’s approach to global disaster, but it just doesn’t work. Appalling title aside, there are lyrics about “explosions everywhere, a Starbucks over there” and it’s too cringeworthy to survive more than a few listens at most. Online And In Line suffers a similar fate, it’s all over the place and the obsession with social media gets annoying very quickly.

Thankfully, they recover with the last two songs. A Moment Of Lucidity is a laidback ballad that’s weirdly reminiscent of THE FLAMING LIPS jamming with DREAM THEATER, while Imitate Me Part 2 closes proceedings on a high note. It’s a tripped out, grandiose number and a wise choice to round things off.

It’s rough around the edges and there’s two glaring missteps in the track list, but Temple Of Artifice is still a worthy debut. There’s a lot of ideas packed into the short runtime and while it’s only resurfaced to increase the interest in its three younger brothers, TWISTED ILLUSION can still be proud of this early creation.

Rating: 6/10

Temple Of Artifice is out now via self-release.

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